Genesis 41:42

Note, the humiliation of Joseph was God's path to his exaltation.

Once more, in verse 42, Joseph's hand appears. Its power and skill showed in Potiphar's house, in the ordinary affairs of life. Later it showed in scenes of much humiliation in the prison. Now, in the splendour of the palace, Pharaoh took the ring from his own hand and placed it on the hand of Joseph. It no doubt carried the great seal of the kingdom... Step by step he had gone down into the valley of humiliation. Now at one mighty bound he had risen into power and glory... In Philippians 2 we have the downward steps of our blessed Lord set out in detail, even to the death of the cross. But then comes one mighty lifting up into the glory, where every knee will have to bow to Him.

Joseph had now reached the height of his glory. His word ruled all Egypt, and every knee had to bow to him. Pharaoh "made him lord of his house and ruler of all his possessions, to bind his princes at his pleasure and to teach his elders wisdom" (Ps. 105:21-22). His rule was therefore absolute. Only the king on his throne stood above him, and the signet ring of authority rested on his hand. Wielding the executive power of the kingdom, he brought everything in the realm under Pharaoh, as Genesis 47:13-26 shows.

Pharaoh took off his ring — the ring that bore the royal cipher, his authoritative seal — and he put it on Joseph's hand... In this way he showed everyone that Joseph was the man of his right hand... The ring speaks of authority; the fine linen, of moral worth; the gold chain, of sovereign majesty. We sometimes speak of the threefold glories of Christ — Personal, Moral and Official.

The ring has no end, so it speaks of His eternal identification with God. The fine linen reminds us of the perfect purity of His Manhood (Rev. 19:8). The golden chain pictures His unity with the Father in His Godhead glory.

Worn as the badge of office: Joseph and Daniel were given gold chains. Gen. 41:42; Dan. 5:7.

All this pictures the present exaltation of Christ Jesus the Lord. He who was once the Crucified is now the Glorified. He whom men once hung on a gallows has been placed by God on His throne. Joseph received his place of exaltation in Egypt purely because of his personal worth. It also rested on the actual service he had rendered to the country and kingdom of Egypt. Philippians 2 shows us the same thing. God has exalted Jesus (as a man) solely because of personal worthiness and obedience to the point of death. And Peter said on the day of Pentecost, to the very Jews who had condemned and crucified Him, "Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified" (Acts 2:36).

I have no doubt that when the cry went out, "Bow the knee," people asked, To whom? To Joseph? That slave, that man who was in prison? Never! I think I can hear many a proud Egyptian prince saying, I will never bow. Perhaps you have said, I will never bow to Christ. Wait a while. Pride never filled your stomach. It may have filled your heart. What will bring you down? A day of famine.